Map of Shenyang Imperial Palace
(Roll over white colored words to locate their reference on the map -roll over symbols on the map to see photos and explanations. Click circle top left to return to main page).
The Early Center Section Additions
Second Qing emperor, Taizong (aka. Huangtaiji), the builder of the central palace section, fell victim to the same oversight as most of us contemporaries. He built a great palace for himself, his empress and his concubines, but he failed to ensure enough storage space. Sounds familiar?
He therefore ordered the construction of two two-story warehouses, Xiqijian Tower and Dongqijian Tower, now both located in the front courtyard. (If you haven't figured it out yet, then "Xi" means "west" and "Dong" means "east").
The area behind the private residence was now also incorporated into the palace grounds and used to erect a milling house and a grain mill. He opened up a back gate in the new northern palace wall. He also had gates built between his own palace area and his father's eastern (original) palace ground to ease access.
Taizong was a productive man. In addition to his four "favorite" concubines, each one residing in her own palace within the emperor's residential area, he kept an undisclosed number of "common" concubines. They were installed in two new wing buildings east and west of Qingning Palace.
And then the emperor suffered from yet another problem many of us contemporaries know all too well: He couldn't find a parking place! Solution: Have someone construct a garage -named the Imperial Carriage House- in the back of dad's old palace. Alas, most of us today unfortunately don't exactly have at our disposal an old palace of dad's laying around.